Clifton schools throw a first birthday party for Chewie the therapy dog

CLIFTON — School 9's mascot is a bulldog, but its therapy dog Chewie the goldendoodle who has clearly captured the hearts of the students and staff.

On Monday, students celebrated Chewie's first birthday with a party at the school. The party was planned by randomly selected students from the district's 18 schools.

Chewie, with his scruffy, curly, apricot-colored fur, has a monthly lunch date with selected students and Principal Joelle Rosetti at School 9. He also travels for lunch dates with students at other schools.

Begun as an experiment in September, Chewie, who travels with his handler, Assistant Schools Superintendent Mark Gengaro, has made a tremendous impact on the district.

On Monday, students wore party hats and held "Time to Pawrty" signs while waiting patiently for Chewie to arrive. Shortly after 10 a.m., the birthday dog, sporting a bandana around his neck, arrived with Gengaro to greet an excited group of children and faculty.

Freshly groomed and bathed, Chewie happily strolled through the crowd, bringing lots of smiles.

Adoption: Dogs gifted for Christmas are now at Bergen County shelter. Here's how you can adopt one

Rosetti said having a service dog on hand does wonders, not just for students who suffer from anxieties, phobias and more, but for any students who love dogs and animals. Just being in the same room with Chewie can help restore a sense of calm with some students, Rosetti said.

"It instantly helps de-escalate and allow us to move on past an incident," she said.

Chewie's first year

Chewie comes from Virginia dog breeders who specialize in service and therapy dogs.

After seven months of training by the breeders, Chewie was brought to Gengaro, who worked with the dog to prepare for the task. On a typical day, the duo visit a few of the district's schools.

Local: Clifton parking issues near mosque remain unresolved, say residents

The district paid $3,500 for the puppy and $13,000 for the training. Gengaro said it has been a great investment for the schools. "He's been worth every penny," he said.

Schools Superintendent Danny Robertozzi agrees.

"The therapy dog initiative has been nothing less than a rousing success," he said. "Chewie has provided therapeutic, emotional, academic and behavioral support to students and staff alike."

Robertozzi said he will recommend adding more therapy dogs to the district.

"With a district consisting of over 11,000 students and close to 1,600 staff, the supply/demand ratio is not currently in our favor, as we currently only have Chewie," he said.

Gengaro said the district, depending on how the school board wants to proceed, can expand the program by a couple of dogs to as many as eight.

It would also lighten Chewie's workload. He currently participates in behavior modification plans, individual and group therapy sessions and individual class incentives, and he attends sporting events, assemblies, trunk or treats, Back to School Nights, musical performances and Board of Education meetings and has served as an incentive for the district's positive behavior program.

The process takes time, the administrators said. It can take about 18 months to get a dog, from start to finish.

Rosetti agrees and said additional therapy dogs would be an excellent investment. "I think every school should have a therapy dog," she said.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Clifton NJ schools throw birthday party for therapy dog